4mcrue Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 OK, did lots of searching, looked at lots of pics of 17" and 18" rims on legacy's. I had pretty made up my mind that 17" is what I was going to buy, but now I'm 2nd guessing myself. What are some opinions on 17" vs. 18"? I know this has been done before, but I wanted some new opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 nothing new, the choice is up to you since you drive the car. Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilT Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Don't go with 16" ! Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepFreeze2 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 IMO, 18s look better on stock and lowered suspension. From a performance standpoint the tires figure into the equation in either size. It depends on what you're trying to achieve. Looks > handling or vice versa. YA RLY!!! Home of +2500 useless posts!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmanus88 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 i highly reccomend 17s. 18s break easily if you live in teh tristate area (like me) or somehwere where the roads are fairly shitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 i highly reccomend 17s. 18s break easily if you live in teh tristate area (like me) or somehwere where the roads are fairly shitty 17"s can break too in the tri-state Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 As folks have said, it's a personal preference. For myself, I'll stay with 17" wheels for a couple of reasons: 1.. Up here in "pothole hell", I am very leery of going to lower than a 45-series profile for protection against breaking/bending wheels, plus having a semblance of ride quality. 2. I won't buy wheels tires that are heavier than stock, and are preferably lighter. My summer Rotas are 3#s per corner lighter (for the wheel/tire combo), and they are 1/2" wider (17x7.5") and steering respnse is sharper. To go with wheels bigger than 17" requires more $$$ for both wheels & tires to keep them lighter. I woud rather spend $$$ on wider 17" wheels than get a bigger diameter. Again, it's all in what you want. I would rather have the performance gain than a better "look". and a lighter wheel/tire package definitely helps performance. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYNY Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 isn't it personal preference? i have 18's but it sits a little high on the stock suspension. i don't plan on changing that though. the car was designed w/ 17's in mind. but i think 18 looks and fills out the wheelwells better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaa Kaa Man Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 i highly reccomend 17s. 18s break easily if you live in teh tristate area (like me) or somehwere where the roads are fairly shitty I totally agree. I went throught he same decision and settled on 17" with upgraged rubber, i.e., Goodyear F1's....couldn't be happier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmanus88 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 xenonk, obviously nothing is invincible, but out of the two 17s are the safer choice granted the roads aren't perfect where u live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 If I lived in southern Arizona or Calfornia, my choice would be different (but why woud need an AWD car there, anyway??). For daily driving, and especially if you don't do track events, going to an 18" or larger wheel with a sub-45-series tire is a "looks" issue. Not that it's a negative direction to move to, but don't feel that you are improvng the handling. Wider wheels with better tires will help handling more than just going to a bigger diameter wheel. Sme excellent tires on the stock wheels can do as much for handling (and braking) as any other change. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 1.. Up here in "pothole hell", I am very leery of going to lower than a 45-series profile for protection against breaking/bending wheels But the sidewall depends on the size of the tire. You can get a 40 series tire with a taller sidewall then our stock 45 profile tires. I think you can get some 17" wheels that look 'bigger' and get some 18" wheels that look 'small'. So the appearance depends on which wheel you choose. 17" are, generally, lighter and less expensive. I can't decide either. Every time I think I've picked out a 17" wheel someone here posts a great looking 18"! I think I need to buy some of both! tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 But the sidewall depends on the size of the tire. You can get a 40 series tire with a taller sidewall then our stock 45 profile tires. I think you can get some 17" wheels that look 'bigger' and get some 18" wheels that look 'small'. So the appearance depends on which wheel you choose. 17" are, generally, lighter and less expensive. I can't decide either. Every time I think I've picked out a 17" wheel someone here posts a great looking 18"! I think I need to buy some of both! Yes, you are correct on the wheel sizes. On other cars, I have seen some 18s that look "smaller' than 17s. I personally like 5-spoke wheels, but I went with the 7-spoke SDRs that looked good to me. Wasn't sure that I would like the cadmium color, but I like them and have gotten a lot of compliments with them on my RBP car. I figure that I can always get them powdercoated another color if I get bored with them. Or, they can become winter wheels if another set catches my eye. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWortham Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I think you can get some 17" wheels that look 'bigger' and get some 18" wheels that look 'small'. So the appearance depends on which wheel you choose. That's true. From what I've noticed, some of the 5, 6, or 7-spoke designs where the spokes extend all the way to the outside lip have a 'big' look to them, and so you may actually prefer 17's. But mesh wheels, for instance, seem to always look smaller than they are so 18's would probably be the better choice visually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberwagon Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 My 18 x 8 OZ Superleggra w/ General UHP 225/40/18 is 4lbs lighter per corner!! Not bad considering the rim is 1in wider/taller. Dia. is approx. 1/2in bigger. Seattle area roads are not to bad and this will be my spring thru fall setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 My 18 x 8 OZ Superleggra w/ General UHP 225/40/18 is 4lbs lighter per corner!! Not bad considering the rim is 1in wider/taller. Dia. is approx. 1/2in bigger. Seattle area roads are not to bad and this will be my spring thru fall setup. Ah, but that's because you live in Bellevue. I live in Seattle- I hit potholes daily (especially in the rain where you can't see them well!) and figure on planning to bend an 18" rim or two every year, or just go with a 17" setup. tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 end of the convo, save up and buy both 17s and 18s.. that's what I did Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWortham Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Save up for these (8.5 pounds for 18x10.5" wheels)... http://www.nobleforums.com/images/onyxm400/cfwheels/cf1.jpg http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46703 Big, light, and strong. Just what everyone looks for. And only $2500 per wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 ^ if that actually holds any truth, Fikse just got beat in technology differences. I doubt it can be THAT strong (as the mesh design yields the most structural-sounding design of all) and that you would be paying a lot more than $3k a rim for Aircraft or even NASA grade level CF.. that link didn't even specified how it was made other than of Magnesium and a Carbon-Fiber Barrel.... why not just slap on some carbon-ceramic brakes while we are at it I wonder what kind of tensile strength the barrel/hoop can handle. Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4mcrue Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 Thanks for all the input, I guess I'm still leaning toward 17" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 If you want better handling just upgrade the tires. Unless you are going with super light wheels for track use, I think getting aftermarket 17's is a waste of money. Leave the stockers on there and slap on some gummy rubber. If you want your car to look appreciably different and better go with 18's. I think people overplay the extra protection that 17's offer. Consider this. With the stock 215/45/17 tires, the sidewall is 96.75 mm tall. The most common tire size used on 18" wheels on the Legacy is 225/40/18, which has a sidewall that is 90 mm tall. Do you really think that 6.75 mm or roughly 1/4" of extra sidewall is going to save your bacon over a really huge pothole? I highly doubt it, especially if the 17's you chose are both cheap and light... 2 factors that usually compromise strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmanus88 Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 why a waste of money? that would mean anything anyone does to change the stock look of the car is a waste of money. if you want a different look then thats why u buy different style wheels (of the same diameter, if you choose). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 If you want better handling just upgrade the tires. Unless you are going with super light wheels for track use, I think getting aftermarket 17's is a waste of money. Leave the stockers on there and slap on some gummy rubber. If you want your car to look appreciably different and better go with 18's. I think people overplay the extra protection that 17's offer. Consider this. With the stock 215/45/17 tires, the sidewall is 96.75 mm tall. The most common tire size used on 18" wheels on the Legacy is 225/40/18, which has a sidewall that is 90 mm tall. Do you really think that 6.75 mm or roughly 1/4" of extra sidewall is going to save your bacon over a really huge pothole? I highly doubt it, especially if the 17's you chose are both cheap and light... 2 factors that usually compromise strength. Well, by your comment I wasn't surprised that you live in CA!!! Many of us our here in snow/pothole country run two sets of wheels/tires. Also, to answer your question.....YES that extra 1/4" of sidewall matters. Bending wheels and blowing tires is not a rare occurence up here. My favorite story was when either C&D or AutoWeek (both are here in SE MI) tested one of the M3s a few years back. They went through something like 3-4 rims in the period of their long-term test!! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EL PAALO Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 If you want better handling just upgrade the tires. Unless you are going with super light wheels for track use, I think getting aftermarket 17's is a waste of money. Leave the stockers on there and slap on some gummy rubber. If you want your car to look appreciably different and better go with 18's. I think people overplay the extra protection that 17's offer. Consider this. With the stock 215/45/17 tires, the sidewall is 96.75 mm tall. The most common tire size used on 18" wheels on the Legacy is 225/40/18, which has a sidewall that is 90 mm tall. Do you really think that 6.75 mm or roughly 1/4" of extra sidewall is going to save your bacon over a really huge pothole? I highly doubt it, especially if the 17's you chose are both cheap and light... 2 factors that usually compromise strength. I'd like 235/40 17 or 245/40 17 so wider 17's are necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praedet Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Exactly^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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